Natural single use 100% gauze grocery bag

ABSTRACT

An illustrated view of an exemplary grocery bag for providing a sanitary use of a grocery bag and subsequent additional uses. The grocery bag is useful for reducing the costs of cotton-based reusable grocery bags, the cost of the reusable bags are a leading reason for consumers declining using these reusable grocery bags. The grocery bag is further useful in having additional uses once the initial use of carrying groceries or other items has occurred, these activities may include cleaning furniture, cleaning counter tops, washing dishes, etc. The grocery bag is preferably made of a natural, 100% cotton gauze material. A body of the grocery bag which has a holding area is preferably eleven (11) inches in height. The holding area of the body of the grocery bag is preferably eleven (11) inches in length. The holding area of the body of the grocery bag is preferably eight (8) inches in width.

PRIORITY

This utility application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/814,074, filed on Mar. 5, 2019, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to shopping bags. More particularly, it relates to multiple use shopping bags.

BACKGROUND

A bag (also known regionally as a sack) is a common tool in the form of a non-rigid container. The use of bags predates recorded history, with the earliest bags being no more than lengths of animal skin, cotton, or woven plant fibers, folded up at the edges and secured in that shape with strings of the same material.

Despite their simplicity, bags have been fundamental for the development of human civilization, as they allow people to easily collect loose materials such as berries or food grains, and to transport more items than could readily be carried in the hands.

Cheap disposable paper bags and plastic shopping bags are very common in the retail trade as a convenience for shoppers, and are often supplied by the shop for free or for a small fee. Customers may also take their own shopping bags to use in shops. Although, paper had been used for purposes of wrapping and padding in ancient China since the 2nd century BC, the first use of paper bags (for preserving the flavor of tea in China came during the later Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).

There are environmental concerns regarding use and disposal of plastic shopping and trash bags. Efforts are being taken to control and reduce their use in some European Union countries, including Ireland and the Netherlands. In some cases, the cheap bags are taxed so the customer must pay a fee where they may not have done previously. Sometimes heavy-duty reusable plastic and fabric bags are sold and these may replace disposable bags entirely. Sometimes free replacements are offered when the bag wears out. The UK has charged Sp per plastic carrier bag in larger shops since 2015. This trend has spread to some cities in the United States.

A bag may or may not be disposable; however, even a disposable bag can often be used many times, for economic and environmental reasons. On the other hand, there may be logistic or hygienic reasons to use a bag only once.

Therefore, there is a need for a disposable bag for grocery shopping that can be utilized in multiple other applications thereby solving at least some of the problems described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustrated view of an exemplary grocery bag.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the process to create the exemplary grocery bag shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The phrases “in one embodiment,” “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” and the like are used repeatedly. Such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise. Such terms do not generally signify a closed list.

“Above,” “adhesive,” “affixing,” “any,” “around,” “both,” “bottom,” “by,” “comprising,” “consistent,” “customized,” “enclosing,” “friction,” “in,” “labeled,” “lower,” “magnetic,” “marked,” “new,” “nominal,” “not,” “of,” “other,” “outside,” “outwardly,” “particular,” “permanently,” “preventing,” “raised,” “respectively,” “reversibly,” “round,” “square,” “substantial,” “supporting,” “surrounded,” “surrounding,” “threaded,” “to,” “top,” “using,” “wherein,” “with,” or other such descriptors herein are used in their normal yes-or-no sense, not as terms of degree, unless context dictates otherwise.

Reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the drawings. While embodiments are described in connection with the drawings and related descriptions, there is no intent to limit the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents. In alternate embodiments, additional devices, or combinations of illustrated devices, may be added to, or combined, without limiting the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Referring to FIG. 1, an illustrated view of an exemplary grocery bag 100 for providing a sanitary use of a grocery bag and subsequent additional uses. The grocery bag 100 is useful for reducing the costs of cotton-based reusable grocery bags, the cost of the reusable bags is a leading reason for consumers declining using these reusable grocery bags. The grocery bag 100 is further useful in having additional uses once the initial use of carrying groceries or other items has occurred, these activities may include cleaning furniture, cleaning counter tops, washing dishes, etc.

The grocery bag 100 is preferably made of a natural, 100% cotton gauze material, but other materials are hereby contemplated including, but not limited to, 100% cotton absorbent medical bleached gauze, kitchen cotton cheese cloth, mutton cloth, etc. A body 101 of the grocery bag 100 which has a holding area 102 is preferably eleven (11) inches in height, although any other heights are hereby contemplated. The holding area 102 of the body 101 of the grocery bag 100 is preferably eleven (11) inches in length, although any other lengths are hereby contemplated. The holding area 102 of the body 101 of the grocery bag 100 is preferably eight (8) inches in width, although any other widths are hereby contemplated.

The grocery bag 100 has the body 101. The body 101 of the grocery bag 100 has the holding area 102, a first side 103, a second side 104, a third side 105, a fourth side 106, a top 107, a bottom 108, a first handle 109 and a second handle 110. The holding area 102 of the body 101 of the grocery bag 100 is useful for holding items such as groceries, clothes, health and beauty aids, automotive supplies, etc. The holding area 102 of the body 101 of the grocery bag 100 is accessible by the top 106 of the body 101 of the grocery bag 100. The top 106 of the body 101 of the grocery bag 100 is an opening.

The first handle 109 is configured to be an open handle at a first portion 112 of the top 107 of the body 101 of the grocery bag 100. The first handle 109 may be used to hold, pick up, couple to a line, etc. the grocery bag 100.

The second handle 110 is configured to be an open handle at a second portion 111 of the top 107 of the body 101 of the grocery bag 100. The second handle 110 may be used to hold, pick up, couple to a line, etc. the grocery bag 100. The first handle 110 and the second handle 110 may used together or separately as desired by the consumer.

Substantially near each of corner 119 of the bottom 108 of the grocery bag 100 is a seam 113. The seam 113 is configured when the grocery bag 100 is made. The grocery bag 100 is preferably made from a single piece of material, but any number of pieces is hereby contemplated. The single piece of material is folded in half and the seam 113 is made substantially near the corners 119 of the bottom 108 of the grocery bag 100.

The grocery bag 100 when configured is configured to have a gap which therefrom creates the first side 103 and the third side 105. The configuration of the first side 103 and the third side 105 determine the depth of the grocery bag 100 and thus the number of items that can be contained in the holding area 102 of the body 101 of the grocery bag 100.

A first loop 117 is securely coupled to substantially near a top portion 115 of the first handle 109. The first loop 117 is configured to securely couple the grocery bag to a grocery store “hook”. A second loop 116 is securely coupled to substantially near a top portion 114 of the second handle 110. The second loop 116 is configured to securely couple the grocery bag to the grocery store “hook”.

After, or instead of, the grocery bag 100 is used for carrying items, such as groceries, produce, meats, HBA, etc., the grocery bag 100 can then be repurposed to perform other tasks such as, but not limited to, cleaning ovens, cleaning tables, wiping television screens, other cleaning activities, etc. The grocery bag 100 may also be made without loops.

Moving now to FIG. 2, a flowchart 200 illustrates the creation of the grocery bag 100 shown in FIG. 1.

At 205, the process starts. At 210 it is determined if there is enough fabric or any fabric available to make the grocery bag 100. If at 215 if it is determined that there is not enough fabric or no fabric, then the consumer obtains enough fabric to produce the grocery bag 100. The fabric is preferably a natural, 100% cotton gauze material, but other materials are hereby contemplated including, but not limited to, 100% cotton absorbent medical bleached gauze, kitchen cotton cheese cloth, mutton cloth, etc.

After it has been determined at 210 that enough fabric is available or the fabric has been obtained at 215, then at 220 the fabric is cut to a fifty centimeter by one hundred-centimeter (50 cm×100 cm) dimension. The fabric utilized for the opening at the top 107 of the grocery bag 100 preferably has self-finishing edges which prevent the edges from fraying when cut (also known as “selvage”). Further, the self-finishing edges reduce costs of production of the grocery bag 100.

At 225, the cut fabric is folded to create a fifty-centimeter by fifty-centimeter (50 cm×50 cm) bag 100. Each side of the bag 100 is then folded one and two tenths (1.2) inches on an inside.

At 230, the loop 116, 117 is placed between each folded top corner 114, 115 and the corner is sewn to securely coupled the loops 116, 117 to the bag 100.

At 245, a gap of seventeen centimeters (17 cm) is left and sewn straight towards the bottom of the bag 100. Prior to sewing the bottom 108 of the bag 100, fold the bottom 108 of the bag 100 two and one-half (2.5) inches and then continue, at 240, sewing to the bottom 108 of the bag 100. By folding and sewing the bottom 108 of the bag 100 in this manner, it enables the bag 100 to carry items more steadily and firmly while holding a shape of the bag 100 as well.

Once the sewing of the bottom 108 of the bag 100 has been completed at 240, the bag 100 has been made and then at 245 the process for creating the grocery bag 100 has ended and thus the grocery bag 100 can be used.

In the numbered clauses below, specific combinations of aspects and embodiments are articulated in a shorthand form such that (1) according to respective embodiments, for each instance in which a “component” or other such identifiers appear to be introduced (with “a” or “an,” e.g.) more than once in a given chain of clauses, such designations may either identify the same entity or distinct entities; and (2) what might be called “dependent” clauses below may or may not incorporate, in respective embodiments, the features of “independent” clauses to which they refer or other features described above.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing specific exemplary processes and/or devices and/or technologies are representative of more general processes and/or devices and/or technologies taught elsewhere herein, such as in the claims filed herewith and/or elsewhere in the present application.

The features described with respect to one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments or combined with or interchanged with the features of other embodiments, as appropriate, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims. 

1. A grocery bag for providing sanitary and other uses, the bag comprising: a body, the body comprising: a top, the top being an opening, wherein the top being for providing access to a holding area; a first handle, the first handle being a first portion of the top of the body; and a second handle, the second handle being a second portion of the top of the body; a first loop, the first loop securely coupled to substantially near a top portion of the first handle; and a second loop, the second loop being securely coupled to substantially near a top portion of the second handle.
 2. The bag of claim 1, wherein the bag being made of a natural, 100% cotton gauze material.
 3. The bag of claim 1, wherein the bag being reusable for other activities.
 4. The bag of claim 3, wherein one of the other activities being cleaning counter tops.
 5. The bag of claim 1, wherein the holding area being eleven (11) inches in length
 6. The bag of claim 1, wherein the holding area being eleven (11) inches in height.
 7. The bag of claim 1, wherein the holding area being eight (8) inches in width.
 8. The bag of claim 1, wherein the holding area being for holding items.
 9. The bag of claim 8, wherein one of the items being produce.
 10. (canceled)
 11. (canceled)
 12. The bag of claim 1, wherein the fabric being a natural, 100% cotton gauze material.
 13. The bag of claim 1, wherein when it is determined there is not enough fabric, then obtaining the determined amount of fabric.
 14. The bag of claim 1, wherein folding the fabric being fifty centimeters by fifty centimeters (50 cm×50 cm).
 15. The bag of claim 1, wherein the fabric having self-finishing edges.
 16. The bag of claim 1, wherein the gap being seventeen centimeters (17 cm). 